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Costa Rica ID card photo requirements

The 50 × 50 mm photo rules set by Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones de Costa Rica for the Costa Rica ID card, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 10 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Costa Rica ID card photo?

Costa Rica's ID card is the cédula de identidad, issued by the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE), which photographs you at its offices. Only consulates abroad accept two printed photos, and their sizes differ: 5 x 5 cm on the TSE sheet, 4 x 4.5 cm in the 2010 regulation, 5 x 4 cm in Ottawa. No official source gives 30 x 35 mm.

The national identity card of Costa Rica is the cédula de identidad. It is issued to citizens aged 18 or over by the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE) and its Civil Registry, and the TSE sheets give its validity as 10 years. Foreign residents carry a different card, the DIMEX, which the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME) issues. The DGME residence page, last modified on 18 June 2026, asks for "Dos fotografías tamaño pasaporte, de frente y fecha reciente" with every residence application and gives no dimensions. The BCR requirement list for the DIMEX names no photograph.

For the cédula inside Costa Rica, the applicant brings no print. The TSE sheets say the photograph is captured at the counter and must meet the guidelines on the face, the eyes and accessories. Decree 08-2010, the TSE photo regulation published in La Gaceta no. 127 on 1 July 2010, makes the employee who receives the request responsible for taking the picture and for keeping eyes, eyebrows, cheekbones, mouth, nose and, where possible, ears visible. Its article 11 fixes one background tone and colour, set by the Tribunal, for every booth.

Printed photos exist only at consulates: article 13 says only applications received at Costa Rican consulates abroad may carry printed photos, with no marks or notes on either side. The size differs by source. Article 14 of the 2010 regulation says passport size, 4.5 cm high by 4 cm wide approximately, in colour and recent. The TSE consular sheet now lists 5 x 5 cm on white, citing a 2024 directive, and the consulates read give 4 x 4.5 cm, 5 x 4 cm or 5 x 5 cm. The 40 x 45 mm variant matches the 2010 size; 30 x 35 mm matches none.

Costa Rica ID card photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones de Costa Rica:[1]

Print sizeConsulates only, two prints: 5 x 5 cm (TSE sheet); 4 x 4.5 cm (Decree 08-2010); 5 x 4 cm (Ottawa)
Digital sizeNo upload: TSE staff capture the photo; consulates take printed photos
BackgroundTSE offices: the tone the TSE sets for its booths. Consular prints: white (TSE sheet) or light grey (some posts)
ColourColour (Decree 08-2010, article 14)
Photo ageRecent (Decree 08-2010, article 14; Netherlands and Ottawa pages)
Print qualityPrinted photos only at consulates, with no marks or notes on the front or back (Decree 08-2010, article 13)
Pixels when printed591 × 591 px at 300 dpi · 1181 × 1181 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
50 mm50 mm
50 × 50 mm photo drawn to scale. Background: tSE offices: the tone the TSE sets for its….

Key requirements

  • The TSE takes your picture

    In Costa Rica the cédula photograph is captured at the TSE central office, a regional office or a mobile unit. The renewal and first-time sheets say it must meet the guidelines on the face and eyes and on accessories.

  • Prints only at consulates

    Article 13 of Decree 08-2010 allows printed photos only for applications received at Costa Rican consulates abroad. They must carry no marks or notes on the front or back, and must respect the background colour set by the Tribunal.

  • Consulate size depends on the source

    The TSE consular sheet asks for two prints of 5 x 5 cm, white, shoulders up, no glasses, ears visible, no shadows on the face and a serious expression, in clothes that are not the colour of the background. Panama asks for 4.5 x 4 cm on white, Bogotá for 4.5 x 4 cm on light grey, and Ottawa for 5 cm high by 4 cm wide on white.

  • Features that must show

    Article 6 of the regulation tells the officer to make sure eyes, eyebrows, cheekbones, mouth and nose, and where possible ears, are not hidden.

  • Light grey at some posts

    The embassy in Bogotá specifies a light grey background, #dddbd1 or Pantone 427 U, with the shoulder corners matched to the lower corners of the photo. The TSE sheets for in-country applicants also describe a grey background.

  • The DIMEX is a different card

    The DIMEX for foreign residents is issued by the DGME, not the TSE. The DGME page asks for two recent, front-facing passport-size photos with a residence application but gives no size.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Go to a TSE office or mobile unit and let staff take the photo, if you are in Costa Rica.
  • At a consulate, ask which size and background it wants for your two prints.
  • Keep your eyes, eyebrows, cheeks, mouth and nose clear, and your ears too where you can.
  • Wear clothes that do not match the background colour of the print.
  • Leave the front and back of consular prints blank.

Don't

  • Do not bring your own photo to a TSE office in Costa Rica.
  • Do not write on or mark a printed photo for a consulate.
  • Do not wear glasses in a consular print on the TSE sheet.
  • Do not use a 30 x 35 mm print: no official source gives that size.
  • Do not assume the DIMEX photo follows the cédula rules.

Sample photos

How a Costa Rica ID card photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 50 × 50 mm and background colour.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Glasses

Decree 08-2010 allows glasses only when they do not hide or distort the face enough to prevent identification, or when they are worn on medical prescription. The TSE consular sheet nonetheless lists "sin lentes" (no glasses), and the Bogotá and Netherlands embassy pages say the same, so remove them for a consular print.

Headwear and religious dress

The regulation lists turbans, hats, caps, wigs, earphones, eye patches and face bandages as accessories. Staff may restrict them at the moment of the photo if they distort the face, and scarves are allowed only where they do not hide the features. The Bogotá embassy asks for no caps, and the Netherlands page asks long-haired applicants to leave the ears visible.

Babies and children

The cédula is for citizens aged 18 or over, according to the TSE sheets, so this page does not apply to children. Minors hold a separate identity card, the TIM (tarjeta de identidad de menores), whose photo rules were not found in the pages read.

Inside Costa Rica there is no print and no upload, because the TSE captures the image. Consulates take two printed photos, which the TSE sheet specifies at 5 x 5 cm. A digital photo can be cropped to the size your consulate states, printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter and cut apart.

Where to submit the photo

In Costa Rica, apply at the TSE central office in San José, a regional office or a mobile unit, in person, since the procedure is strictly personal. Abroad, contact the consulate for an appointment; the TSE lists consulates through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. First-time applicants need their TIM or witnesses, and the consulate forwards the file to the Civil Registry.

How to get your Costa Rica ID card photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Costa Rica ID card: 50 × 50 mm print, tSE offices: the tone the TSE sets for its… background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: the TSE takes your picture; prints only at consulates; consulate size depends on the source; features that must show.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Inside Costa Rica there is no print and no upload, because the TSE captures the image. Consulates take two printed photos, which the TSE sheet specifies at 5 x 5 cm.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. In Costa Rica, apply at the TSE central office in San José, a regional office or a mobile unit, in person, since the procedure is strictly personal.

Make this photo online

Costa Rica ID card photo FAQ

Not in Costa Rica: the TSE captures the photograph at its office. At a consulate abroad you supply two printed photos, according to Decree 08-2010 and the TSE consular sheet.

It depends on where you apply. The TSE consular sheet asks for 5 x 5 cm, the 2010 regulation gives 4.5 cm high by 4 cm wide, and consulates such as Ottawa ask for 5 cm high by 4 cm wide. No official source gives 30 x 35 mm.

TSE booths use a background tone and colour set by the Tribunal, described as grey on the TSE in-country sheets. For prints at consulates, the current TSE sheet says white, while the Bogotá embassy asks for light grey and Panama and Ottawa ask for white.

Decree 08-2010 allows glasses only if they do not hide the face or if prescribed for medical reasons. The TSE consular sheet and the Bogotá and Netherlands embassy pages ask for no glasses, so take them off for a printed consular photo.

No. The cédula is the TSE card for Costa Rican citizens. The DIMEX is the identity card for foreign residents, issued by the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, which asks for two passport-size photos with a residence application.

It matches the 2010 regulation, which says passport size of 4.5 cm high by 4 cm wide approximately, and consular pages in Panama and Bogotá. The TSE consular sheet now says 5 x 5 cm, so confirm with your consulate.

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Official sources

  1. Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones de Costa Rica. Solicitud de Cédula de identidad por primera vez tse.go.cr. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones de Costa Rica. Solicitud de Renovación de Cédula de identidad tse.go.cr. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones de Costa Rica. Solicitud de Documento de Identidad ante el Consulado tse.go.cr. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (copy hosted by INAMU). Decreto 08-2010, Reglamento de fotografías para la cédula de identidad (La Gaceta no. 127, 1 July 2010) formatos.inamu.go.cr. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Embajada de Costa Rica en Panamá. Cédula, primera vez (Panamá) embajadacostaricaenpanama.com. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Embajada de Costa Rica en Colombia. Solicitud de cédula (Bogotá) embajadadecostarica.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. Embajada de Costa Rica en los Países Bajos. Cédulas y traslado electoral (Países Bajos) embacr.nl. Checked 2 November 2026.
  8. Embajada y Consulado General de Costa Rica en Canadá. Cédula (Ottawa) costaricaembassy.com. Checked 2 November 2026.
  9. Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería. Regularización migracion.go.cr. Checked 2 November 2026.
  10. Banco de Costa Rica, appointment portal for Migración documents. Requisitos para Dimex bcrcita.bancobcr.com. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones de Costa Rica before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Costa Rica ID card photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/costa-rica/id-card-photo

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